Hi Briskodians,

My Columbus navigation started playing up last weekend, we were somewhere we hadn't been before & the map showed us offroad. I assumed that my maps were outdated even though the area we were in wasn't newly altered & just switched it off. Yesterday near home, where I know the roads, the map is something like 1.5 miles out & the compass indicates the wrong direction. It's about as much use as a chocolate teapot.

Does anyone have any ideas before I have to take it to the dealer? I have searched but can't find any answers. I'm guessing the GPS aerial is kaput I can't find any way of resetting the current location.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Probably the GPS aerial as you say, but worth unplugging it, cleaning the contacts and trying again before you go to the dealer. Sometimes the contact doesn't always stay clean enough.

Have a look on one of the split screen menus on the Columbus (press 'Maps' to see the map then press it again to get to the split screen). One of them, the last in the list (press the header to see more), will show how many satellites are visible and how many are being tracked. If you have lots (c.10-12) visible but few/none (0-4) tracked then something is wrong with the GPS.

Hi guys,

Thank you both for your really prompt replies.

I have tried the reset twice & still no joy.

The unit sees between 9 & 11 satellites but says 0/11 & No Fix. I currently have the unit out.

Which is the GPS aerial connection?

Thanks again.

Edited 3 March, 201313 yr by VRS DSG

Any idea how long the dealer will need to fit a new GPS aerial? I expect they'll want it for a whole day

Cheers Mike, that confirms that I took out the right connector. Putting switch/contact cleaner made no difference.

They are cheap to buy, I'm surprised. So where are they normally fitted? I couldn't see where the wiring went, it just disappeared into the dash.

Mark

If your car was factory fitted with GPS then the aerial is on the roof... And the cabling runs under the trim through the whole vehicle!

However, if the antenna has gone belly-up then the roof mounted antenna can be changed without needing to move any cabling in the vehicle.

I had exactly the same issue as this a few weeks back whilst driving from Guildford to Hedge End near Southampton, the Sat Nav got me there from Winchester but en route back decided i was off course by a few hundred meters, for about 10 miles of the journey and then it came back on. It's been ok since, just a funny 5 minutes as I have expected with the last 2 Columbus systems I have had.

I'm now on my 3rd or 4th Ariel they have a revised design now to stop the issue aparantly

Azure Skoda, Chichester seem to think the problem is most likely the aerial base, the car is booked in for them to investigate on Friday 8th March at 14:00. I will update as and when I know something.

For the record Sparshatts at Fareham are about as flexible as a non flexible item and would have to have the car no later than 12:00 on any given day just to look at it. They wouldn't even entertain looking at it on a Saturday morning.

Sparshatts at Botley were more helpful and booked me an appointment for 14:00 on 15th March. I will cancel this if things go well at Azure!

Azure Skoda were keen to get the car in for investigation as soon as possible but will need to order parts pending the result of the investigation. I will try this dealer since they are the newest and the first to offer me an appointment. The car is in warranty anyway so the work should be FOC.

Hi folks,

Just to follow up on this thread I have now had my GPS aerial base replaced by Azur in Chichester. It was actually fitted on 15th March & has been working properly since. I can't tell if it's a new design, it looks the same as the old one. Azur seem to be a fairly decent bunch although I never like taking my car to any dealer!

Thanks again for all your advice.

Just to update the situation here with my Columbus, yesterday it started saying I was miles away from where I actually was.

Today and all through today, despite 2 resets, it's still saying 1 or 2 satellites or (as it's doing mostly) none.

Any ideas what's up? Everything else on the unit works fine, phone, hard drive, radio etc...

It is booked to go in on 22nd April, will let your know what they find.

Just to update the situation here with my Columbus, yesterday it started saying I was miles away from where I actually was.

Today and all through today, despite 2 resets, it's still saying 1 or 2 satellites or (as it's doing mostly) none.

Any ideas what's up? Everything else on the unit works fine, phone, hard drive, radio etc...

It is booked to go in on 22nd April, will let your know what they find.

It will most likely need a new Ariel. They have a revised part as there was an issue with them.

+1 new GPS aerial required.

I've had this happen several times over the past 4-years or so, but usually sorts itself out after a short while. Sometimes it's just a few miles out and other times I've apparently been bobbing around in the North Sea!!! Haven't tried replacing the GPS antenna, but that'd be my first approach if it got any worse.

Just to update the situation here with my Columbus, yesterday it started saying I was miles away from where I actually was.

Today and all through today, despite 2 resets, it's still saying 1 or 2 satellites or (as it's doing mostly) none.

Any ideas what's up? Everything else on the unit works fine, phone, hard drive, radio etc...

It is booked to go in on 22nd April, will let your know what they find.

The replacement GPS aerial sorted mine when it had the similar symptoms. The dealer will probably refer to it as the aerial base, my understanding is that the GPS aerial is incorporated in the aerial base.

Best of luck.

The dealer will probably refer to it as the aerial base, my understanding is that the GPS aerial is incorporated in the aerial base.

If it was factory fitted then, AFAIK, that's the only place Skoda put them.

Took mine to Sinclair Skoda Swansea two weeks ago due to Columbus system sat nav showing me firstly just a few miles off road then over a period of weeks showed me hundreds of miles away off route (In the sea off Plymouth in fact!!) Sinclair immediately identified it as a known Skoda system fault in the roof aerial antenna module which they replaced free of charge.

The job took several hours and involved removal and refitting the roof liner.

Really great job done and all looks and works like new. No signs of roof lining having been removed at all and no rattles or squeaks.

Took mine to Sinclair Skoda Swansea two weeks ago due to Columbus system sat nav showing me firstly just a few miles off road then over a period of weeks showed me hundreds of miles away off route (In the sea off Plymouth in fact!!) Sinclair immediately identified it as a known Skoda system fault in the roof aerial antenna module which they replaced free of charge.

The job took several hours and involved removal and refitting the roof liner.

Really great job done and all looks and works like new. No signs of roof lining having been removed at all and no rattles or squeaks.

I hope mine comes back all ok too. I have curtain airbags in mine, so hope they can remove the headlining ok without too much disturbance to these.

Mine also has curtain airbags fitted and obviously the mechs knew what they were doing so no worries at least with Sinclair Swansea!

Hi,

 

Hope it is okay to drag up an old thread.

 

My antenna has just gone, and need to replace it. Tried reset, and removed unit and cleaned connection without any success. 

 

My Columbus is factory fit. Am I best off just replacing antenna behind the dash, or to replace at arial base?

 

Should the below do the job??

 

https://www.ebay.ie/itm/GPS-antenna-3M-cable-Fakra-C-blue-connector-for-for-MFD2-RNS2-RNS-E-VW-AUDI-NEW/332777479478?hash=item4d7b155d36:g:zlMAAOSwf8Fbl4M1:rk:10:pf:0

 

Many thanks.

On 24/12/2018 at 14:04, kindalen said:

Hi,

 

Hope it is okay to drag up an old thread.

 

My antenna has just gone, and need to replace it. Tried reset, and removed unit and cleaned connection without any success. 

 

My Columbus is factory fit. Am I best off just replacing antenna behind the dash, or to replace at arial base?

 

Should the below do the job??

 

https://www.ebay.ie/itm/GPS-antenna-3M-cable-Fakra-C-blue-connector-for-for-MFD2-RNS2-RNS-E-VW-AUDI-NEW/332777479478?hash=item4d7b155d36:g:zlMAAOSwf8Fbl4M1:rk:10:pf:0

 

Many thanks.

You should create a new thread rather than bumping an ancient one.... anyway yes, although signal will be spotty unless you locate it high up the dash and not just next to/behind the Columbus.

Looks like we've got this issue too on the Amundsen+.  It is an intermittent fault, and often shows the vehicle travelling sideways when it is having its funny few minutes.   The car needs to be booked in for other issues anyway, so I'll add this to the list.

Hi,

 

Just to update, got an antenna on amazon for less than a tenner, installed this morning in a few minutes. All working just fine.

 

For once a cheap and easy fix.

 

Thanks to all for the advice. Briskoda is a great resource, which once again has saved me time and money .

 

Thanks.